


Hide and Seek

by yuma (yuma_writes)



Series: Wahid of the Pack [2]
Category: The Brave (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Angst, Animal Attack, Flashbacks, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Protectiveness, Team Feels, Trust Issues, Wolf Pack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-03-18 18:45:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13687590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuma_writes/pseuds/yuma
Summary: No one keeps anything from the pack. Amir assumed that didn't include him. But when another wolf pack attacks, he learns differently.A sort of sequel toLone One of the Pack





	Hide and Seek

**Author's Note:**

> Another AU fic, originally inspired by this beautiful Tumblr post: [ [here](http://dennybitte.tumblr.com/post/170651438265/reflecting-by-denny-bitte) ]
> 
> PS: just posted a sort of follow up to this: [ [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13777917) ]

Maybe he should have let them catch him sooner.

Amir tracked the team leader as he stalked towards the common area. If Amir didn't already know the team was comprised of shifters, the way Dalton walked on two legs instead of four still would have betrayed him. His stride was always steady, determined and with a certainty that wherever he went, people would make way for him. 

The four shifters had gone ahead to the bunker to turn into their human form. As of yet, Amir couldn't determine if they saw shifting to their human form was a return or a destination. There were times it seemed like they preferred their wolf shape, yet other times they appeared to enjoy walking on two feet more. 

The curtained stalls against one side of the wall rustled as one by one, the wolves shifted. 

Amir ducked into the armory cage to check on his gear and the go-to packet he hid under the boxes of 2.78 cartridges. 

"It wasn't bad," Preach offered as he stepped out of the changing area. He tugged down straight his green shirt. He nodded towards Amir—whether to acknowledge what Amir did or his presence, it wasn't clear.

"It's what you wanted, wasn't it?" Preach reminded Dalton as he made his way to where they stowed their gear. "When you asked the director for the stand-down rest of this week?"

Dalton grunted. He scratched under his chin; the beard was the same shade to the team leader's wolf coloring. He muttered something under his breath as he shoved a hand into the fridge and pulled out a few protein bars with a fist. 

Amir thought their night drill was successful. He evaded the wolves for a good hour before McG's furry form tackled him around the knees by the food crates. His victory howl rang out into the night. The hairs on Amir's nape rose when three other howls replied not as far as he'd thought. Hopefully, there would be a new mission before another "hunt for the human" game. Then again, he supposed it was better than the training in the terrorist camps. At least here, there was a bed and a first aid kit to return to. 

Speaking of which, Amir needs to check on the bandages on his left calf again when everybody goes to sleep. He didn't wrap the graze too tightly and risk cutting off his circulation. Hindering natural movements was always a nuisance.

"It wasn't my fault," Jaz declared as she emerged from the curtained area. The partition wobbled in her wake. Her dark hair whipped out in a stiff braid, mimicking the lash of her black raven tail during the drill. It had slapped against Amir's leg—luckily the good one—when Amir arrived behind McG as the 'captured.' 

"I almost had him."

Amir felt the sniper's glare. He kept his eyes on his backpack. He needed to carry more gear than anyone else. Not everyone has natural night vision. He pointed out to Dalton it was more efficient to wear the night goggles the whole time. Dalton reminded Amir they could see the glint off the lenses even if they were non-reflective. 

"You were chasing your tail trying to pick up Amir's scent for twenty minutes before you realized he already left six minutes ago."

McG came out of the sleeping area, his spiky brown hair hidden within the folds of the navy t-shirt he wiggled to put on. When his head popped free of the cotton, he threw Amir a grin.

Unsure what to make of it, Amir slowly grimaced back. He returned to his packing because this was something that made more sense. He was also still trying to figure out where would be the best place to hide his blade. It was the only thing he held onto from ISIS. He left the other knife behind. Last he saw it, it was buried deep in the cell leader's stomach when he made his escape.

"Damn it, Jaz, you were four minutes slower this time." Dalton tapped a finger on a battered composition notebook he kept on base. The table underneath groaned. The log was old-fashioned considering all the high tech equipment Amir found cluttered about. Something was amusing about the captain, head bent, furiously scribbling into it with a green pen badly chewed at the tip.

"Hey, the only reason why I was slower was that of the new guy there."

Amir didn't bother looking up at Jaz's grumbling. He supposed she was irritated with being shackled with another human again. After Sergeant Vallin's death, getting stuck with another human probably chafed. 

"Jaz, I know your eyesight is better than the rest of us; it's why you're our sniper," Dalton said, wearily as if it was an old argument. "But you still need to work on your sense of smell."

"I was!"

Amir slipped a hand to the bottom of his backpack. The blade was still there. But it was an impractical place. He pulled out the knife and secreted it into the loop he sewed into the lining of his jacket. Fortunately, it was cold at nights. It made the jacket practical, but if he were still here in the summer, the thick lining would work against him.

"Four minutes," McG reminded Jaz with a snicker.

"I would have found him if he hadn't cheated."

"Sure," McG snickered. He yelped after Jaz threw something towards him that clattered loudly when it crashed.

"Jaz," Preach rumbled.

"I'm telling you; he cheated."

Amir's fingers brushed against the small vial in his front pocket. He inwardly grimaced at the greasy film on the glass surface. It probably spilled. And he was running out of gauze. It was hard to _borrow_ supplies when the medic could sniff out if anyone's been through his gear.

"Now Jaz," Preach tried. 

"I would have found him if he wasn't wearing the camphor."

Amir stilled. He sensed the collected eyes on him. Bracing himself, he lifted his eyes and met Jaz's accusing ones.

"I wasn't aware it was against the rules to wear it," Amir said evenly. 

"If you're trying to cover up the smell of the blood on your leg, you're supposed to use the bandages from McG's stuff," Jaz snapped. "The military stopped using it in any of our gear. Camphor's distracting. It throws our tracking off. If this was a real mission, you could have gotten yourself or any of us killed."

" _Jaz_ ," Dalton said, low.

Ah. Amir saw Jaz's point. He glanced over at Dalton's unreadable expression.

"It won't happen again." Amir glanced down at his backpack. "I forgot the other one in the humvee." He took a step back and when it was clear the others were going to remain where they were, Amir made a strategic retreat to the humvee.

 

Amir didn't realize he walked this far until he discovered the row of bunkers along the defunct landing strip no longer looked familiar. 

Then again, Amir wondered if they ever will or if he even wanted them to. He studied the faded number on the cracked tarmac, a reminder of what the area was originally used for. Now, it served to chide him for walking away like a coward.

Amir tucked a chilled hand into his front pocket. Even lined, the maroon jacket wasn't enough to ward off the desert night air. His fingers bumped into the vial of camphor. He intended to pick up another vial in the city, but they were wheels up to Chile yesterday. He ended up using most of it on the flight home. And then Dalton announced they were going to do a dusk drill with Amir as soon as they landed. 

The horizon was turning into an unusual violet sky streaked with red as the sun finished lowering to give way to night. The sky looked like it was bleeding. Amir forced himself to continue staring even though his stomach churned at the sight. His shoulders itched as he stood out in the open. But he remained rooted at the spot, daring the wounded skies to make him look away.

Eventually, the skies looked innocuous again, even beautiful if Amir allowed himself the indulgence to appreciate it. 

Amir studied the crimson stains across the darkening sky. Amir's throat worked. He remembered nights free of bombing, his bare toes dug deep in the sand, a lithe silver white wolf nipping playfully at his bony ankles. 

A soft gravel crunch broke whatever peace Amir managed to grasp. He tensed.

Behind Amir, the steps halted.

"Just me. Chow's ready."

Amir shrugged. 

"What are you doing all the way over here anyway?" McG whistled. Something in his grip sloshed. "Okay, that's nice to look at. Reminds me of home, but you could've seen this back in our bunker. "

"It was a nice night for a walk," Amir said. He steeled himself from shivering when a breeze went through him.

"Uh huh." McG took a noisy sip of whatever he brought with him. "At least it was downwind from Jaz."

Amir grunted. He slipped his hands deeper into his pockets. He stared at the sky, his mouth set.

"Aw hell, I wasn't trying to…" McG heaved a sigh. "Here. Catch."

A roll of something bounced off the back of Amir's head. He flinched and spun around on his heels sharper than necessary. He caught the object. He blinked as he gazed down at the bundle in his cupped hands.

"Those are pretreated to eliminate the smell of blood," McG said. He pointed to Amir's hands with the amber beer bottle he held with two crooked fingers around its long neck. 

"Thanks." Amir tucked it into his pocket. It wasn't enough, but he could probably ask the quartermaster for more. He could volunteer to make the next supply run tomorrow. 

When Amir glanced up to offer, he caught McG frowning at his pocket.

"What?" Amir wondered if there was enough left in the tiny jar for McG to smell the camphor.

"Why you put it away for?" McG arched an eyebrow at Amir. "We're gonna need that."

"We?" Amir echoed. "I thought—it's fine, I'll do it later."

"Later?" McG repeated. He pointed to himself with the beer bottle. "I'm already here and guess what? You're a quick and sneaky kind of guy, but I doubt you'll be flexible enough to reach the back of your leg."

"I'll use a mirror." Amir studied the roll. "Do I need pre-treated tape as well?"

"You told Top you weren't hit in Chile."

Amir glanced up. McG's mouth was set, his brown eyes narrowed. Amir found himself tensing again.

"I wasn't." Amir held McG's gaze a beat longer before looking down at himself. "It was a graze. I wasn't lying."

"And if you _were_ hit?"

Amir's mouth twisted ruefully. "I think it would've been obvious. There would've been a lot more yelling involved."

McG snorted. "One time Preach broke a toe when he dropped the ammo crates on his foot. Thought he got gutted with all the swearing he was doing."

Amir's eyebrow rose. He chuckled. "Preach?"

"He probably saves all his swearing for here where his girls can't hear him."

Amir's smile faded. "There are some things little girls shouldn't hear."

"I don't know. The stuff that comes out of Jaz's mouth, you would think she was more sailor than a wolf." McG chortled. He sobered and considered Amir.

"Why did you try to hide it?"

Amir's brow knitted. "I thought the smell of blood—"

"That's not what I meant." McG's bottle wobbled towards Amir's direction. "Why didn't you tell us you needed patching up?"

The sour tang of alcohol, brewed strong enough for shifters, wafted over to Amir. Amir squashed down the face he wanted to make.

"I wasn't trying to hide anything. It never occurred to me." Amir shrugged. "This one didn't need stitches."

"This one?" McG looked at Amir strangely. He cleared his throat. "I'll be the judge of that."

Amir's mouth pressed thin. "I know how to tell the difference."

McG rolled his eyes. He folded his arms in front of him. "Uh huh, who's the medic here?"

"I don't need stitches."

"Amir, why don't we let the expert here decide—"

"To ISIS, the only trustworthy brother was a bleeding one," Amir said curtly. "A cut or two to prove you're human and don't have enhanced healing meant everyone needed to learn to be their own medic. I don't need stitches."

McG blinked.

Chest tight, Amir swiveled back to the horizon. It was almost pitch black now, vacant even of stars. It looked like it could swallow him up. But he was never that lucky.

"Amir," McG said, strained. He cleared his throat. "At least…We really should cover that up. It'll be faster if I do it."

Amir closed his eyes briefly. He exhaled. McG wasn't wrong. The graze was awkward to reach. He took a step towards McG. 

"You're right. The smell is distracting everyone. We should cover this up."

McG shook his head. It made him appear oddly doglike even when he gestured towards Amir with his beer again.

"Look, what I meant—" McG stopped. His head whipped to Amir's left.

Amir froze. He held his breath and only then, he heard it.

A growl.

Out of the corner of Amir's eye, five pairs of pinprick light blinked into the dim one by one. Yellow eyes glowed at them. Four stayed back in the shadows, but their dark shapes edged the perimeter, testing the distance but staying behind one wolf. This one stood on all fours, its gray and black streaked fur vaguely familiar. The wolf was unusually broad across the chuff, its snout black like coal dust.

"Evans," Amir guessed under his breath.

The gray wolf's muzzle pulled back; white teeth protruded. The wolf snarled at Amir's voice.

"Team two," McG muttered. "We're nowhere near their lines. Why—"

"They smelled the blood." Amir's throat shrank around his words. "They're in a blood frenzy."

"How do you know ab—" McG sucked in his breath. He drew it out slowly. "Hey, Evans? It's McGuire, over at Seven? You know where you guys are? Top's not going to be happy you guys got your grubby paws past our lines. You know better than that."

Amir turned slowly on his right heel, enough so he could face them. He swallowed. The five sets of slitted eyes gleamed brighter as the sky turned darker.

McG was suddenly by Amir's right shoulder. "Keep walking backward towards our den. I'll shift and keep them distracted—"

"You shift, they'll see it as a sign of aggression," Amir bit out. He sensed McG's surprise behind him, but it wasn't the time. "Keep talking to them. They know you. It might be enough to bring them out of their haze. The smell of my blood drew them here. They think I'm an intruder. They'll expect me to run. If I don't, it'll confuse them."

"Or they use the chance to jump ya," McG hissed.

Amir lifted a shoulder. "It's a possibility."

"It's a po—damn it, Amir, will you get your squishy human body back into the— _Shit!_ "

There was no warning.

Amir's hand finished its slow inch to the inside of his jacket. He yanked out the blade and immediately flipped it towards the brass hilt instead. A quick box to the ears should stun the large gray wolf long enough for McG to run. McG was the fastest and the wolves most likely wouldn't attack one of their own. Not while they were busy with Amir.

White filled Amir's sight. He threw up his arm, the hilt swinging forward.

McG shouted, his words cut off after two wolves pounced. McG landed hard on his back. 

A tip caught the webbing between Amir's second and third finger. Then it dug in and kept going.

Amir gritted his teeth as one of the wolf's front fangs raked the back of his right hand. His jacket sleeve ripped open like a snake's old skin as the fang tore all the way up to the joint of his shoulder. The thick material kept the fang from doing anything more than a shallow cut, but blood still washed down Amir's arm with a cloying heat.

The blade spun out of Amir's nerveless and newly slippery grip.

Amir roughly grabbed the gray wolf by the scuff. He tugged, jerking the wolf's head back to keep its jaws away from his vulnerable throat. 

But survival instincts and experience was nothing against two hundred thirty pounds of a frenzied wolf. Amir felt its fore paws land squarely on his chest. He fell hard to the gravel. He wheezed, the air knocked out of him.

The two remaining wolves circled McG, hissing and snarling in wait.

"Damn it, Evans, snap out of it! Get your pack to back off!" McG's voice started to distort. "Evans!"

"Don't shift!" Amir gasped. There was no way McG could go up against four wolves. He stared up at the red-rimmed golden eyes. Fresh blood from his arm dribbled down his torn sleeve. The gray wolf's nostrils flared. Its growl shook painfully against Amir's ribcage. 

Around them, the pack rumbled, sniffing and growling. Amir's ears pounded. 

Evans's front paws dug into Amir's chest, nails lengthening, punctuating clothing, piercing skin, reaching for bone and flesh and his heart. Amir choked.

"Evans, you son of a bitch, _wake up!_ " 

A blur flashed and the crushing weight on Amir's chest was gone. There was a roar; a distinct sound of bone crunching. The blur, a light colored wolf slightly smaller than Evans stood over Amir's torso.

Wolves snarled. Eyes glowed. The night suddenly felt crowded with too much sound. Gravel skittered as paws scrambled for balance.

Amir lay there wheezing as the alpha stood over him; its forelegs and hind legs bracketing his torso.

Evans stooped low, fur bristling around its neck, its ears pressed flat to its skull, its tail stiff and low to the ground. The wolf bared its bloodstained teeth at Dalton.

Dalton barked in a rapid flurry. Amir's ears rang as the wolf snapped its jaw towards Evans. Spittle flew. The wolf's entire body shook with ferocity. Tufts of fur stood on end. The air crackled around Dalton.

"Top," Amir croaked, but it didn't appear the wolf heard him. It stood over Amir's body, snapping and snarling Evans's pack back with sheer volume alone.

Hands slipped under Amir's shoulders. Amir jerked.

"Easy, easy, it's me." McG sounded breathless.

"Give me your beer," Amir rasped. He struggled to sit up. "Pour it on my arm and leg."

"What? Are you su—"

Amir grabbed the beer he spied on the ground. By some miracle, it didn't spill. The bottle nearly dropped out of his bloody grip as he tilted it towards his bleeding arm. He choked as the bite of alcohol burned into his wounds. 

McG slapped Amir's hand away and snatched the bottle back. He poured more beer over the arm's long gash, his fingers roughly smearing the beer where it could. Blood dribbled down, washed away with the beer. The back of Amir's jeans was soaked by the time Amir took over to pour the rest of the alcohol over his leg.

"Is it working?" Amir asked breathlessly. His eyes watered from the fire spreading down to his fingers, but the snarling seemed to have stopped.

At least it did on Evans's side.

Evans's wolves blinked at the trio with wide eyes. One cocked its head towards Evans.

Dalton was still barking. It hasn't stopped. If anything, it grew louder. Amir could see the wolf vibrating where it stood.

"Top," McG whispered. "Evans is coming out of it. Top?"

The light-colored wolf ignored McG. Its hindquarters bent back, its compact flank flexing, fur bristling around its withers.

"Crap," McG whispered. He shoved his shoulder in front of Amir. "This is why you never piss off an alpha."

"Top," Amir hissed. " _Top_!"

Evans shook its head; the larger wolf dropped down on its belly. The other four reluctantly followed.

"They're backing down!" McG called out, but Dalton ignored McG. McG tried to pull Amir out from under Dalton. He yelped when Dalton whipped its head back and snapped at his nose.

Evans's pack squirmed, starting to rise to their feet again, growling this time because Dalton was leaning towards Evans with clear intent.

 _This is a stupid idea_ , Amir thought when he realized what he must do. Nevertheless, he reached out, grabbed Dalton halfway on the tail and yanked. Hard.

Dalton yipped and abruptly dropped on its furry rear.

The growling stopped. From both sides.

"Christ, I can't believe you did that," McG muttered. He grimaced.

"Me neither." Amir hastily pulled his hand back. He stared wide-eyed at the toffee shades of the wolf's back.

"Ah, Top?" McG tried. "You with us?"

The wolf got back up on all fours and huffed. It crept forward towards Evans.

"Top," McG warned. "Come on, man."

Evans and Dalton considered each other silently. 

After a moment, Evans's regal head dipped. The gray wolf stood a head taller than Dalton yet it bowed in acquiescence. It lowered its snout almost to the ground.

Dalton woofed as it straightened up, its white crest puffed out. The alpha tapped its nose to Evans's head.

Evans snorted and twisted around. The wolf paused and looked back to McG and Amir.

Dalton growled.

Evans's tail swished lazily behind it as the wolf loped towards the direction of their bunker. 

One by one, the other wolves followed, disappearing into the night. When they were out of sight, a howl sang out into the dark.

Dalton sat down, tipped its head back and replied with a deep sound that seemed to reach into Amir's bones.

Amir swallowed. He sat there, one hand clamped over the deeper cut on his elbow. He tracked Dalton as he padded towards them.

The wolf paused. It considered the ground. It lowered its jaws and nosed an object until it could pick it up in its mouth.

Amir recognized the blade in Dalton's grip. 

The wolf looked almost chiding. It dropped the blade, hilt first, into Amir's waiting hand.

"Sorry," Amir muttered. He wasn't sure what he was apologizing for, but it felt necessary. He couldn't bring himself to meet the wolf's gaze.

Dalton grunted. It canted its head at McG.

"I'm all right," McG grumbled. He smirked at Dalton. "I could have taken them."

Dalton tossed an eye roll over its furry shoulder. It turned back to Amir.

"I didn't cross their lines," Amir said. "I didn't trespass. You've told me to avoid their grounds for now. I didn't enter their territory." There was a reason why shifter teams were set so far apart. There was a reason why there were only two. Wolves can only tolerate so many prowling their grounds. 

"Top, it wasn't Amir. They came here," McG said. 

Dalton sniffed the ground where Amir laid. He snuffled around Amir's ankles.

Amir grimaced. "I was going to cover it up when they came. I should have done it right away, but there was no way to predict they were out here and could smell—"

"Amir, Top only saying I better patch up your leg and arm before another pack comes around. The Turkish army has a pack, too. They still won't admit it, but Jaz spotted their tracker roaming around at sunrise a couple of weeks ago."

Amir started to push off with his hands.

The ground tilted. Night rushed overhead.

Amir found himself sitting again, or perhaps he was always sitting. He squinted, barely making out McG's lips moving.

"What?" Amir rasped.

McG sat back on his heels. He frowned at Amir.

"Cut's not deep, but you should hold off on any midnight runs for now."

Against Amir's side, Dalton stood close enough its whispers brushed against Amir's ear.

Amir made a face. He prodded the nose away when it sniffed around his shoulder.

"It's not deep," Amir told the wolf. "It won't need stitches."

"Well, gee, I don't know why we need _me_ around for," McG muttered darkly.

"My sleeve got in the way," Amir said as he started to rise. "Evans didn't really hurt me. Deep down, he must have realized what was happening to him and—"

Dalton huffed. Its body knocked Amir back to the ground. 

Amir grimaced. He glowered at Dalton. The wolf sat on its hindquarters and canted its head.

"We should—" Amir tried to rise again, but Dalton hopped up, a large paw batting Amir on the hip and Amir almost went sprawling into McG.

"You better do what Top says," McG chuckled. "Guy's stubborn on two or four legs. Just stay put. Catch your breath."

Amir scowled. "Didn't you just say I needed to patch this up before another wolf smells the blood?"

"I said _I_ would patch it up and I will. Later. When I'm sure you're not going to pass out again."

Amir ground his teeth. "I didn't pass out."

"You nearly fell on Top here and trust me, if you think he's a bastard now, wait until after you try to squish his furry ass to the ground. He—all right! Sorry!"

McG leaped to his feet to avoid Dalton's jaws snapping towards him. Dalton didn't chase McG, though. It huffed and sat down again with a _thump_.

The wolf was a pillar against Amir's side. Even as it rumbled at McG, the wolf felt unmovable.

Amir sat stiffly next to Dalton.

"Yeesh," McG muttered.

Before Amir could react, McG shoved Amir back. He landed ungainly on Dalton. The wolf grunted but didn't move.

"I'm getting a backache looking at you. Relax. Just think of Top as a fuzzy couch."

The wolf half-heartedly snapped its teeth at McG's ankles but did nothing when McG dropped heavily on the other side of Dalton.

Giving up, Amir stayed cross-legged on the damp ground. He stared at the darkness Evans and his pack disappeared into. He swallowed when he saw the dribbles of blood smeared across. McG must have smashed his boot over the splatter to scrub the blood into the ground. McG should get more beer. Alcohol would get rid of any remaining stench.

"How you know so much about blood frenzies?" 

Against Amir, Dalton's shallow panting stilled a beat then continued.

Amir eyed Dalton. How much did the CIA redact? He wondered how much detail Deputy Director Campbell found and included in his file. 

The wolf's head swiveled towards Amir. Blue-green eyes squeezed up at him then slid away.

Apparently, a lot of detail.

Amir's throat worked. He sensed McG's eyes on him, yet the medic didn't ask again. And perhaps that was why Amir felt like he owed it to McG to answer.

"Shifters," Amir began. "They're considered a curse in Islam. If a child was…the family must choose: forbid the child to never turn, or if already shifted, they're never allowed to change back."

"Heard the bomber last year, Sharif Janar might have been that." McG's quiet voice was too loud in the dark. "Never got to be a wolf."

Dalton's ears twitched. Amir absently scratched his jaw where he felt a wisp of fur flicked across.

"Ironically, denying the change makes it worse."

McG heaved a sigh. "Preach always said once the mind goes, so does the heart. Then you might as well be dead."

Amir tried to smile. It sounded almost poetic. "The mind…erodes." And then ISIS straps on a bomb onto a madman and coaxes him to stumble into a school and—

Dalton growled under its breath.

"ISIS used feral wolves to train their recruits." Amir rubbed his right knee. It ached sometimes. Never with rain, only with memory. 

McG grunted. "And they call _us_ monsters." 

Amir's mouth twisted. "They found lessons stick when there's a frenzied wolf hunting you down."

McG rested heavily against Dalton. The wolf grumbled; its furred torso pushed up against Amir's side. Its tail slapped against the ground, but the wolf stayed put sandwiched between them. Amir thought they should move; Dalton couldn't be comfortable. 

"That ever happened to you?" McG asked. He tempered his blunt question with hushed words, but Amir grimaced all the same.

The wolf against Amir panted quietly, stock-still except for the paced in-and-out expanding of its narrow chest. Dalton was warm and solid next to Amir, his paws evenly spread apart on the ground, tail curled like a question mark behind its hind legs. 

"Hamid Khedani has a reputation in North Africa," Amir said finally. His throat worked. "He didn't get it by sitting around drinking tea."

Silence hung over the trio. McG's boot scuffed the ground. He sniffed loudly. The wolf poked McG's shoulder with its snout. McG nudged the wet nose away and was quiet again.

After a beat, McG coughed.

"That sucks."

Dalton snorted, its breath disturbing the hairs on Amir's neck. Amir agreed.

"Yes," Amir said dryly, "It does." He paused. "I'm impressed you didn't get lost in a frenzy. Or him." He nodded towards Dalton.

The wolf's lips pulled back, revealing teeth. It looked affronted.

"It's only if we don't recognize the scent. Hell, if Top keeps us doing those drills, another month and any one of us will be able to smell you out from a mile away."

Amir blinked. "That's what the drills are for?"

"What did you think they were for?"

Amir shrugged. 

The wolf growled.

"Amir," McG said slowly, "what did you think the drills were for?"

"You found me pretty fast," Amir interrupted before the conversation led to anything discomforting. "Before anyone else."

Dalton grumbled. The wolf settled its head on its front paws.

"I got a better sense of smell." McG's shrug was audible.

Amir narrowed his eyes. "Or you cheated."

Next to Amir's hand, Dalton's ears flicked.

"Cheated?" McG scoffed. He squirmed where he sat. He inched away from Dalton. 

"You've been stealing my pillows," Amir said as he pieced it together. "I kept finding brown fur on the sheets, I thought it was hazing—no, you were trying to…" Amir struggled with the terminology. " _Scent_ me?"

Below, Dalton rumbled under his breath. The thick tail whipped to the side against McG.

"I still could have found you without the pillows. I wasn't stealing them. I was only borrowing them."

"And leaving fur all over them." Amir squinted over to McG. "You shed a lot."

"No, I don't." If McG had shifted, Amir was certain the medic's fur would bristle right now. 

Dalton snorted. It stretched, long neck reaching out towards a newly risen moon. The whiskers twitched.

"Top," McG warned. He threw Amir a panicked look before jamming his hands over his ears. 

Amir copied McG just as Dalton let out a long howl, its golden brown fur rippling down its back. Even covered, Amir's ears pounded.

A shiver went down Amir's back. The howl thrummed under his skin. It felt like it was trying to burrow into him like a twisting knifepoint. Only it wasn't as painful and the howl's tremor felt almost…familiar. Like someone calling his name from far away. When the echoes faded, Amir was left with an ache in the back of his throat. His ears ached at the hollowness of the returning silence.

After a beat, there was a chorus of howls to their eight o'clock. 

A moment after that, a tinny set of howls floated out from their three o'clock, by the Turkish side of the base.

McG stuck a finger in his ear.

"You did that on purpose," McG accused. 

Dalton bared its fangs at McG. Its tail snapped left and right once.

Shaking his head, finger still in his ear, McG waved towards the far away howls. "They can't deny having their own pack now. Guess three packs is roaming Incirlik. Great."

Amir wasn't sure why both wolf and medic looked his way. He glanced down at his arm. Ever mindful of the wolves around them, Amir struggled up to his feet.

"I think I better cover this up before it bleeds again," Amir told them. 

McG stared up at Amir. He looked over to Dalton. The wolf stared back, unblinking.

"Yea," McG exhaled. "Guess so."

Amir patted his pockets for the bandages. "I'm going to need more though," he said thoughtfully. "Do you have another roll I can use?"

"Do I have…" McG growled under his breath. He leaped up to his feet. "Seriously, Top?" He gestured pointedly at Amir.

"What?" Amir narrowed his eyes. He took a step back; McG looked like he was going to tackle him. Maybe the blood was getting to him as well. 

Dalton headbutted Amir on his left leg. Amir hissed and hopped away.

McG grabbed Amir by his good arm. Amir jerked back, but at McG's wide eyes, Amir gritted his teeth and stilled. 

McG abruptly let go. 

"Come on," McG said gruffly. " _I'm_ going to need more bandages and they're in the humvee."

Dalton trotted a loose circle around McG and Amir as they walked. Occasionally, the wolf stopped, sea moss eyes skewering the dark behind them. But its tail hung loose, its fur stayed sleek and after a beat, Dalton's ears would perk up again. It then returned to its odd orbit around the two men.

Halfway towards their bunker, McG abruptly threw back his head and laughed. At Amir's frown, McG pointed to something up ahead.

Dalton huffed and ran up to a crumpled shirt on the ground.

"Seriously?" McG chuckled. He pointed out to the dark mounds on the ground scattered like a trail leading back to the bunker. Amir couldn't tell what they were, but it appeared McG did. 

"Did you shift as you ran over?" McG snorted as he toed the shirt on the ground with his boot. "Did you streak the base? Is Director Campbell gonna get another report?" He smirked at Amir. "Last time, Leves at Evans's group tried to shift while he ran during drills. Ended up streaking the entire Turkish twenty-third squadron and lost fifty bucks to Preach instead."

Dalton barked airlessly, his jaws snapping soundlessly in the air. Amir suspected the wolf was trying to laugh, but it ended up looking like it was trying to catch a fly.

Amir smiled faintly at the wolf. He eyed McG next to him.

"Hard to do," McG explained, still chuckling. "I tried when I was a kid. Ended up tripping into the mud face first with my shorts around my knees. My mom wouldn't stop laughing at me mooning the cows for weeks."

Amir blinked. "Your mother was okay with you shifting out in public?"

"I don't think you could call a field of horses and cows public, but sure, why not?"

Amir stared straight ahead. He thought about deserted beaches, his parents on a blanket standing watch and him laughing and running after a white wolf pup. It always felt like he was chasing moonlight.

"That's nice," Amir mumbled. He struggled to keep his gait even, but his leg was starting to hurt again.

"Sure, bet the horses and the cows had a grand show."

"No. I mean…" Amir shook his head.

Dalton ran around them in circles before he tossed his shirt and pants over McG's head.

McG chucked the clothes back at the wolf. Paws skidded as the wolf fought out from under them. 

"Serves you right," McG shot back when Dalton growled. "I don't want to be carrying your smelly things. Besides I'm busy." He patted a hand on Amir's elbow before wrapping around the joint when Amir staggered against him. 

Dalton canted its head at McG. The wolf barked and went back to trailing next to them.

Amir fidgeted. The feeling of walls closing in despite them being out in the open was unsettling.

"I'm fine," Amir tried.

"Sure you are," McG said easily. "And you'll be better once I'm done."

Dalton woofed.

"I see the humvee," Amir said, abruptly.

"Yup, there it is," McG agreed. 

Amir tugged at his elbow, but McG didn't let go. 

"Something you need?" McG asked innocently. "Mind if I tag along? Got nothing better to do."

Amir glowered up at McG. His shoulders sagged. He shook his head.

Dalton squinted at Amir before twisting around to jog ahead.

Amir stared after Dalton. He swallowed and wondered why he felt abandoned all of the sudden. He stumbled.

"Don't worry," McG murmured, "We gotcha."

Amir numbly looked down. McG's hand was still curled around his elbow loose and careful. It no longer felt…bad.

"Thanks," Amir said to the humvee up ahead. "For…thanks."

McG's hand tightened briefly around Amir's arm. He loosened the grip before Amir felt the urge to break free.

"Come on," McG said quietly. "Almost there."

As they made their way to their humvee under the lone overhead spotlight, Amir wondered why it sounded like they weren't talking about the humvee anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> I blame all of you. LOL. [Lone One of the Pack](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13605612) was supposed to be a one-shot. That's it! Finito! I was taken aback by the response. Uh. _Okay._ One more...
> 
> PS: just posted a sort of follow up to this: [ [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13777917) ]  
> Feedback is like cookies. I like cookies!  
> 
> 
> Fans for season 2, don't forget the hashtags!  
> #RenewTheBrave  
> #TheBrave


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